Religion vs Relationship

It's a peculiar thing - telling people that you're going in to or are involved in Christian ministry. It can be awkward - very awkward. You never know how people will react. Sometimes I find it easier to have the, "I'm adopted, I've been in at least 6 foster homes, I don't know my birth parents and my siblings are in jail for murder..." conversation first. I haven't even begun my studies at ICC but sharing my plans for the next four years has provoked some interesting reactions. One reaction I have noticed most recently is the 'automatic stance' - that is, where people feel the need to immediately spell out their position in the faith spectrum, whether atheist, agnostic or other, and make quite clear their beliefs. Why is this? Perhaps it's a defence; a way of saying, "Don't try and convert me, I've made up my mind!". Perhaps it's an invitation or even a challenge; "Well I know what I think. What have you got to offer?". Whatever the motive, it's interesting. I rarely say much in such encounters, particularly when a person is new or unfamiliar to me. More often than not they seem to expect a reaction, a counter argument or perhaps a submission - an indication that I will not pursue it further. My response is neither. Instead, I listen... then I move on. To some it may appear as submission or even a lack of theological grounding to contest their viewpoint. In some cases this is certainly true. I am not foolish enough to take on arguments to which I cannot present a valid contribution. However, even where I feel able I rarely pitch in on these initial exchanges other than to ask a question or two. Why? Well, most recently it's because the viewpoints I've been presented with surround the issue of Christianity as an organised religion. In particular there is strong feeling about the church; the power of the global church and it's misuse, the unnecessary traditions, the irrelevance of the bible and the attitude of those in ministry. Very often if I dig deeper I find a significant history - people who used to go to church (or were dragged there), people who have been affected negatively by the church and people who altogether find little relevance in what they know of Christianity.

However, what I'm slowly calling in to question is this: Are people judging Christianity as an 'organised religion' or as an authentic relationship? Do they separate the issue of the church / the organisation of Christianity on a global scale, and the fact that Christianity is, according to the gospel, a living and authentic relationship between each individual and God. In many cases, I suspect not. It is for this reason that I rarely engage in any initial discussion about the organisation of the church, the authority of the bible or the impact of Christianity world-wide. If my understanding of the Christian faith is correct (and I am always willing to be corrected), it stems down to the individual. It is about being saved by grace through faith - faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, His defeat of death and the gift of grace which is an open invitation from God to everyone. It is the acceptance of this invitation, resulting in an authentic relationship with God. It is not about religion: it is about relationship.

When people have made up their mind about Christianity as an organised religion, sometimes no constructive debate, historical evidence or academic reasoning will change their views. They may not ever understand Christians or why people follow 'Christianity as a religion' until they have seen a demonstrative example of this relationship, between the individual and God, lived out. Therefor, in an attempt to witness I do not see it as my place to argue them down and change their views on the religion of Christianity and the relevance of the church. There is a time and a place for those conversations. I see it as my job to be an example of genuine faith to help them understand the gift of grace. I'm no saint. Very often I will fail to live up to the example I hope to set. But I will try - try to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ and the God's gift of grace through the way I live.

Perhaps then I will engage in conversation - not about my religion but about my relationship.

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Riots

Browsing the news headlines again today I came across this article. It caught my attention because the reported incident took place not far from my home town. Admittedly I don't know much about the St Marys Kenmure Centre and had to to a little further research. As with my previous entry this article threw me more questions than answers. My first question would perhaps be why the young people were so keen to hurt and destroy the facilities which are supposed to offer them a better, more secure way of life and the people who are volunteering to help and support them? I understand that the young people who are placed in the centre have emotional and behavioural issues which will be the main factor playing a part in such incidents - these are not just your average teenagers. Personally, I can't imagine what life must be like for them. It saddens me to think of young people living their life in such detention - no matter how good the facilities it's still not a 'normal' life however much the centre claims to provide. What makes me even more curious is that those involved in the riot have been sentenced to four years detention. For young people already living in care centres, how will detention contribute to the progress they are supposed to be making? Will it strengthen or destroy the work already done by volunteers there? I can't make too much comment on the issue as my own experiences are different I know very little about the children's panel and related systems but I would like to know more about it.

However, apart from calling out for my compassion articles of this nature also present a real challenge to the church. What are we doing to help young people like this in our area? One of our own church ministries, FNL, takes in a lot of kids from the local area each with their own history and certainly some of them are challenging. I love being involved in this ministry because we provide safety, security, activity and a certain inclusiveness to our local young people. I do think that such an outreach can be extended. Does our local council know the kind of support that we provide? If they did would they make better use of it? Can we extend our ministry from bringing young people in, to taking our volunteers out and extending our mission to places like St Marys? Could the local church make better links between themselves and council projects across the country?

I know great work is already being done - I always like to challenge us to do more.

The Great Commission is the greatest challenge to Christians to show the love of Jesus Christ in this world. If we fail to reach out beyond our own doors are we rising to that challenge?

Bars and Beer

For the past three weeks now I have been working in my local pub. It's been a bit of a change from working in the pharmacy but a much needed one. This change of course brings all the usual uncertainties of any new job - a new workplace, new skills, new managers and staff and an altogether very different atmosphere. So far I've enjoyed it. As always I'm still learning the tricks of the trade but the staff team have been exceptionally helpful and understanding as I make mistakes and learn along the way. It's definitely been a change for the better.

Of course, as could be expected there has been the issue of being a witness in a new workplace as well. As far as I know I'm the only Christian on the team and it didn't take long for people to work it out. Asking for Sundays off was probably the first give-away, haha. I make no effort to hide it but I am always conscious of people's reactions and like to get to know people before having 'that conversation' to avoid being labelled from the offset. Interestingly, when it's come up in discussion the usual reactions are questions about my permissible activities; "Do you drink?" and "Are you celibate?" being amongst the most frequent. Some are curious and others complacent but so far all have been quite accepting. It does make me wonder about people's preconceptions of Christians and Christianity. Do they see it as a religion of "Dos and Don'ts" ? Do they see Christians as "the ones that do..." and "the ones that don't..."? So far most of the questions I've been asked have been very much along this line. Over time I'd like to find out what people think about Christianity from an outside perspective. Until then, I'm enjoying the company and even the work. Long may it continue.

Role-Model Education

"No printed word, nor spoken plea can teach young minds what they should be. Not all the books on all the shelves – but what the teachers are themselves."
Rudyard Kipling


role model: n. A person looked to by others as an example in a particular role or situation. (Concise Oxford - 9th Edition)

I am currently trying to work my way through a short essay on teaching and learning. Can't say it's the most exciting way to spend the Easter weekend. Still, while doing some research I came across the above quote, used in this article. Some of the results in the research mentioned, though unsurprising, are certainly interesting and relevant to educators and Christians alike.

The research from the article expressed the fact that most children and young people identified their role models first and foremost as the people closest to them in their circle of family and friends. Celebrities and media figures came after these in terms of significant influence. Daniel Rose suggests that this is because, "The gap between theory and practice is bridged, as ideological concepts become realities before the eyes of the students. Once they have truly understood an idea, because they have seen it at first hand...they are only then in a true position to judge its validity to their life, and then make the relevant lifestyle decision." An interesting and somewhat scary thought. After reading this I considered the most significant role models in my life and, agreeing with the research of Anton Bucher, I found that these were in fact the people closest to me in my circle of family and friends. These people are from whom I have sought help or advice from, talked to about their values and have then seen for myself the validity and integrity of what they do in practice. This has then in some shape or form influenced the decisions I have made in my own life. I think that teachers, as Rose suggests, can have an incredible influence over their pupils and not one that they should use without consideration. With ACfE focusing on values and lifestyle pupils will seek to establish role models and identify the connection between theory and practice in the lives of their teachers. This is a huge responsibility, because if the practice of the teacher cannot be justified according to the values they are trying to pass on, their integrity will lie in tatters and I imagine that the pupils' respect will be lost. However, this also has huge implications for us as Christians too. The words that we say and the faith that we profess can be powerful, but those who wish to inspect our faith more closely will probably seek to evaluate the link between our thoughts and our actions. If this link is somewhat tenuous then not only will our integrity be at stake but our witness could be catastrophically tainted.

Rose says that, "Children, especially during adolescence – their most vulnerable and impressionable age - are in need of role models, and take them from all areas that are close at hand". This then begs the question, what kind of role models do our children find in church? A scary question and when children are honest in their opinions we sometimes dislike the answer. Children will not only look for role models in individuals but will also look at the church corporately. I suspect that they will notice where the church as a whole fails to put in to practice the value of children that they profess to have. I suspect that they will notice when a commitment to making church enjoyable and accessible to younger people is lost in translation between word and action. We can teach them about the example that Jesus sets, but I feel that the integrity of our teaching can be seriously diminished where we as individuals and as a church fail to live this out in our own lives. A case study I recently examined showed that a primary 5 pupil knew that, despite the teacher talking about fairness and equality, she only directed questions to children who were likely to know the answers. If children can spot the difference then we are presented with a huge challenge - a challenge not only for those who work with children. If we wish to be good role models for our children, in church and in life, then it requires integrity, honesty and commitment. Let's be the kind of role models that Jesus taught us to be. Perfect? We are not. Honest? We can be. Good role models? Let's find out.

The Christian Message

Oh how true this can seem.

Thanks to http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/page/2/

Miscommunication

Communication, it would seem, has been greatly aided by all the modern technologies of the 21st century. If we wish to contact someone, even someone a great distance away, it only takes a call, a text, an email or even, dare I say it, snail mail. It would seem that communication is so easy and that we as a church or as Christians should have no trouble in getting ourselves heard in sharing the gospel. However, in church this morning David Gordon brought about the concept of noise as viewed by communication theorists. In a world where communication seems so clear and easy there are a variety of ways in which 'noise' - whether it be physical, semantic, psychological or cultural - interferes with what we are trying to communicate and what is actually heard. He then brought about the reality of this concept by relating it to the passage in Luke 11: 37-54. Here Jesus challenges the Pharisees about what they are trying to communicate, what is actually being communicated and the 'noise' which is interfering with the whole process. In this case, the noise preventing them from clearly communicating the gospel is that of their 'religious protocol'. Jesus challenged the Pharisees on the way in which their pedantic obsession with external matters was greatly deflecting the reality of Godly living. By creating an uneccessary need for perfection they were distracting people from hearing the real message of God that they were trying to get across. They created too much noise to communicate clearly.

By exploring the passage we find that not only did Jesus challenge the Pharisees on their actions and attitude but He also challenges us with six very important issues.

1. Our priorities. Are we more concerned with ensuring that we have given enough of what is demanded of us to withhold our reputation or are we concerned with the matters of justice and salvation? (v.42)

2. Are we too concerned with our own importance and place within our church community? (v.43)

3. Are we modelling Christian living in a way that will have a positive effect on those around us? (v.44)

4. Do we burden others with our high standards and demands or do we help them to carry their own load? (v.46)

5. Are we listening to God? (v. 47-51)

6. Are we a help or a hindrance to others in terms of bringing them to faith? (v. 52)

Jesus presents the pertinent example of the bowl - clean and shiny on the outside (which is nice but doesn't help) and filthy on the insde; the part which has a greater impact on the effectiveness of it's use. Such is the nature of hypocrisy that our appearance and importance soon outweigh the importance of our heart and our faith; the parts which make all the difference to the effectiveness of our witness. It is easy to focus on external issues such as reputation, importance and being seen in the right places with desirable people, however, this will not only deflect the heart of the gospel but it will fail to engage the community around us.

God is in the process of challenging me about my 'image' or the persona that I try to convey, with particular relation to where I'm seen and who I'm seen with. A lot of opportunities have come up for hanging out with non-church / non-christian people in a variety of places which some would deem as 'unsuitable' places for a Christian girl to be seen. However, what this passage confirms for me is that no matter the external image which is presented, what God is concerned about (and indeed what the church should be concerned about) are the motives and the attitude upon which our actions are based. No matter how shiny we are on the outside we can be in tatters, barely clinging to our faith on the inside. If this is the case, how then will we communicate as effectively with the world around us?

Vapour in the Wind

I tumbled out of bed this morning and was less than amused at the thought of going to church in my half-wakeful state. I remember once leading a discussion on preparing our hearts before going to church and being ready to receive God's word that today. This morning I was not in the mind or mood for preparation but thanks be to God that He can speak to me despite my human disgrace. Anyway... This morning David Smith from ICC was speaking at our church. The first thing I noticed as he got up to speak was that, alarmingly, he had no power-point. Sometimes in the morning, having failed to prepare my heart and mind, I rely on the power-point to guide me through and I could tell that this morning was going to require extra effort. Good on him for keeping my attention.

This morning's passage was from James 4. A mixture of verses, in particular v. 13 and 14. These verses are echoed in the song 'Who am I?' by Casting Crowns and as soon as the words 'vapour in the wind' were read I found myself hearing the song. David's whole interpretation of the passage embodied the attitude of James that we must realise and accept our own mortality. As he pointed out we are living in a day and age which seems to deny and prevent the very process of age and refuses to speak of death for fear of being pessimistic. We live in an age which encourages us to map out our lives from one step to the next, always pushing us forward at every opportunity and barely - if ever - allows opportunity for God's will to the deciding factor, however unpredictable it may seem. Although, as David pointed out, the relevance or credibility of the writing of James has previously come in to question I found the passage valid and encouraging.

Always debating the precariousness of my current situation and the fact that I am very vague about what the future holds other than God's leading, it was an encouragement to have my attitude verified. My mother is ever in favour of taking practical measures and having a plan A, B and C. At the moment I seem only to have a sense of God's leading to step one and am as yet unaware of step two or three. Sometimes I wonder if this is just me being the 'hippy' that I would like to be - leaping in to the future with uncertainty and enthusiasm and I wonder if in fact I should become the level-headed, plan-ahead person that my mum is. However, David's message this morning convicted and encouraged me once more that, although practical measures for the present must always be in place, there is no predicting what God will do today or tomorrow. I have one life and want to live it for the kingdom - for what other cause would be worth devoting a life time to? As Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Money, power and status are becoming a priority in this life. While each in their own right is not a bad thing, our vision must be set beyond these for in a life as frail and unpredictable as this, what good will any of them do? Previous to David's sermon I had been listening to a song by one of my favourite artists, Nicole C. Mullen. Her song " When Heaven Calls" just about sums up James's attitude to the nature of this life and the vision of eternity.

*

"When Heaven Calls"
Nicole C. Mullen

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"Much faster than the blink of an eye,
Lightning will flash and he'll split the sky.
Nobody knows the day or the time,
The trumpet shall sound and we will arise.

*
When heaven calls and this life is over
We'll stand before our God and Saviour.
When heaven calls
We must be ready
To trade these mortal things
For immortality
When heaven calls.

*
For every man there is a time
To love and to laugh, to live and to die.
So I'm living for the one who is Love
And I'm dying to hear Him say 'Well done'
*

When heaven calls and this life is over
I'll stand before my God and Saviour.
When Heaven calls I will be ready
To trade these mortal things
For immortality
When Heaven calls."

Job

Following my last blog I felt that my knowledge of the book of Job wasn't very sharp and that it would pay to do a little digging. I found my study guide to the Old Testament and looked at some of the questions there to help guide my thoughts.

The book of Job was first drawn to my attention during the summer. I was idly flicking through my bible one night and came across one of Job's speeches. I found it compelling. The intensity of his anger, his suffering and his situation just seemed so real. As I read it felt almost as if Job was in the room, yelling out with frustration. The whole passage just resonated with my feelings at the time. Here is a small excerpt as translated in The Message:

"Let God step on me - squash me like a bug, and be done with me for good.

At least then I'd have the satisfaction of not having blasphemed the Holy God, before being pressed to the limits.

Where's the strength to keep my hopes up?

What future do I have to keep me going?

Do you think I have nerves of steel?

Do you think I'm made of iron?

Do you think I can just pull myself up by my bootstraps?

I don't even have any boots!"

(Job 6:8-13)

If we're honest, how often do we feel like that? There are times where we feel there is little to go on and we might as well give up. It is not a favourable situation to be in. The reality of the whole situation became clearer as I studied the book of Job and began to unravel the context in which it was set and the different perspectives from which the story can be told.

God: He is proud of Job. He knows that Job is a good, honourable and loyal servant. He has give Job many blessings and is proud of the faith which Job has maintained. So proud in fact, that he can boast to Satan of the faithful servant that he has.

As a point of reflection we could ask ourselves, "What would God boast of us? Anything?" I often wonder, if God were to discuss my faith with Satan (which I very much doubt) who would be prouder of the work they have achieved in my life? A scary thought.

Satan: He's convinced that Job is only a fair-weather follower. He believes that Job is only faithful because God has only ever blessed him.

Should we ask ourselves, "To what extent are we only fair-weather friends of Jesus? Are we only faithful when the blessings have been bestowed?" Being a Christian is difficult and it is a challenge which we endure from the day we are saved until the day we die. Throughout the course of our life time there will be many high points (one would hope) and also many lows. But just how faithful are we in the times of darkness and desperation? Do we talk God up to our friends as long as he's giving us blessing to boast about? Are we even prepared for the fact that suffering will approach because we are in a relationship with God? I'm not sure that I always am.

Job: Job is convinced (and he was right) that he has lived a life worthy of God's approval. He has been loyal, honest, faithful and even repentant on behalf of his sons on the occasions that they 'might' have sinned. Therefor, in some respects, it is understandable that when unexpected suffering comes he is not at pleased and feels that such suffering is a good deal less than what he really deserves. His challenge to God is simply, "Tell me what I did. Tell me what I have done to deserve this and I will pay my dues." He believes that the suffering set upon him is deserved because of some sin he has unwittingly committed. The irony is that his trials were brought about because he was such a faithful servant. When things go wrong in ourselves, how much do we question ourselves and question God? If we were Job could we really have even begun to work out what was going on? Do we automatically presume that God is bringing punishment on us or being unfair? I admit that there are times when I do.

Job's friends: on the other hand, were far less than helpful. It is important to note that the 'theology' of Job's friends is far from accurate in many ways and God makes a point of saying so.

To begin with his friends did well. They sat with Job and identified with his pain. However, it's all downhill from there as they attempt to either prove Job guilty or second-guess God's plans. Neither of these approaches gained much and only made Job feel worse.

"When desperate people give up on God Almighty, their friends should at least stick by them," Job says. "And you, my so-called friends are no better - there's nothing to you! One look at a hard scene and you shrink in fear."

Tough words. Would our friends say the same about us? When we are suffering just how helpful are our friends? Do they sit, as Job's friends initially did, and identify in our suffering? Do they bring themselves to where we are and look out with the same perspective or do they second-guess God's working, standing on the dock presuming that we are at fault? Do we as friends do the same to others? Do I?

I am in a situation where I currently do have friends who are grieving, who are suffering, who are lost. Reading Job has made me consider my approach and my attitude as I try to help them through. I would hope that Job's description of his friends would not be one that would easily reflect me. The challenge now is to working on applying what I have learned from my brief study of such a telling story. There are great lessons to be learned from Job about being a Christian, about suffering, about God, about being a friend and about Judgement. I still feel that I have a lot more to learn fromJob and am looking for a better study guide to work with. Roll on ICC. In the mean time let's see how much of my learning I can apply to myself - not as a means of becoming a better person in the eyes of God or anyone else, but so that I can provide comfort and care that is truly of use to those who need it. How can I identify with them and stop myself from judging? Perhaps I also need to think more carefully about how I how I respond to my own situation and how I approach God with my complaints. There's much to be learned here. It's all part of growing and learning.

Blind Faith

As noted on my ‘currently reading’ list I have been reading Ben Elton’s latest book, Blind Faith. My Gran gave me the book with a wonderful note attached: ‘To Amie. A subversive book from a subversive Gran.’ My Gran is consciously atheist and no doubt wished to expand my thinking beyond that of my faith. Quite right. Always in favour of expanding my thinking (and quite frankly, being short of a good novel to read) I took up the challenge with enthusiasm. It is a very post-apocalyptic story which in many ways reflects the direction of our current society. The main character, Trafford, asks a question that is the pinnacle or point of the whole story. His question is this:

“Wouldn’t faith itself be more valuable if it was arrived at through question and doubt? What’s the use of blind faith? Seriously, it’s not difficult saying you have faith if the alternative is being burned alive. But does that mean you really have faith?”

A valid question, I feel.

Coming from a Christian background and church based up-bringing I would further that question by asking, “Do we allow ourselves to question and to doubt? Do we allow others to do the same?” Having a lot of Christian friends I have seen many of them (and myself) struggle, facing sometimes what can be a deep crisis of faith or a need to challenge what they have always believed. There can be a tendency to try and make people avoid this, to take their questions and throw back the answers that we feel they should already know. Is this helpful in maintaining their relationship with God or is it simply promoting blind faith? It is easy to be scared that if people begin to question or doubt what they believe in that they will find other answers or some other truth – one that is far less desirable. However, I know from my own times of crisis or from questioning my own values and beliefs, that very often I come back to the original conclusion but with a far better understanding of what I believe and why I believe it. Sometimes I have also come to the conclusion that the things I had being doing were pointless and yes, based on blind faith but of no real benefit to my relationship with God or others.
Job was as guy who really questioned God. He remained faithful through significant trials and did not speak a word against Him despite the hardship that he faced. However, there came a significant point where he could not go undoubting any longer and with some fervour, really question his faith and his God. The book of Job reflects a conversation between Job, his friends and God. He questions what he has been doing and believing in for so long. His friends are not of much use. They give him the kind of answers that just attempt to shut him up and stop him from challenging things. They provide the kind of answers that yes, are based on scriptures and true on many counts but they’re given in a know-it-all nature. They stand on the other side of the fence telling Job how it is. Their answers do not seem to come out of any kind of compassion or even admission that they do not know the answers either. They provided all the religious wisdom they could muster and yet had no impact on bringing Job closer to God in his time of suffering. In the end, it was God who provided the answers and God alone who could reveal any truth to Job. Not only did he reveal the truth but he rebuked Job's friends for spouting rubbish and speaking untruths about God when they really hadn't a clue.
I am not suggesting that when our friends are doubting or questioning that all our attempts to bring scriptural truths or our own words of wisdom to the situation will be futile or worthless but I do feel that, rather than standing at the side shouting out the answers, we should attempt to walk with our friends through their challenges, to give them freedom to ask questions and explore new territories and remain faithful in prayer for them throughout. God may use us to bring people to (or back to) faith through our relationships with them and we should be ready for that.
If a person is really seeking the truth of God we should trust that God himself can and will reveal what needs to be known in His own time, which we cannot second-guess. Surely if we believe that God is all-powerful and the only real truth in this world, we know that he can reveal the answers that people need to restore their faith. We should journey with them and help them to build a solid foundation of understanding rather than a life built around a lack of questioning.

So, from this line of thought what is the challenge for me? To provide my friends with support, freedom, comfort and, where I can, wisdom in their times of doubt and questioning. Questions are dangerous, oh yes, but are they any more so than blind faith?

Exodus

Last night I finally got around to watching 'Exodus' - the television film directed by Penny Woolcock based on the second book of the Old Testament. I am at the best of times sceptical of bible-to-film productions especially where they are rearranged in to a 21st Century context. After watching the film my initial thoughts were as follows:

- The setting, visual elements and cinematography were brilliantly done. It had a very apocalyptic feel to it. The use of amateur actors, especially those with special needs, was wonderfully effective.

- It was far too long and the script was poor. Film-wise it was on the same wave as Titanic, too much time for not a lot to happen.

I did a little research of the piece on the net to see what other people thought and found a review from the Telegraph saying this:

"More surprisingly still, Woolcock retained the central religious element of the original version – although not in a way that religious viewers will necessarily have found comfortable. Indeed, by sticking so close to the biblical story, Exodus reminded us just how brutal that story is. "

Source:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/20/nosplit/bvtv20last.xml

This brings me to my third thought regarding the film which is this: The whole production completely misrepresented and betrayed the relationship between Moses and God. When reading the bible it was clear to me exactly how direct God was with Moses. God appeared to Moses in a face-to-face encounter and throughout the story there is a conversation going on between them. The relationship portrayed in the film was far too subtle and indirect. The whimsical voices gently speaking to Moses were nothing like the powerful experiences depicted in the bible. Not once in this film did Moses fall to the ground in fear.

I always allow room for creative licence but I didn't feel that in this case it was justified. Interestingly, I wonder if this is why the article above stated that 'religious viewers' (whoever they might be) may have found it uncomfortable. If by 'retaining the central religious element' they mean that yes, God was mentioned once or twice and his presence merely hinted at then they are clearly mistaken. The main point of God being in this story is that He leads his people to freedom and how He uses a mediocre guy like Moses to lead an entire nation out of slavery through deep political minefields and what could be classed as spiritual warfare. The film portrayed Moses as the hero and showed very little input from God which I found altogether disappointing.

However, despite that slight setback, the film did mange to bring some reality to the story for me. It can at times be very difficult to make even such a powerful bible story come alive when simply reading it. Through the film my eyes were opened to to exactly how intense the whole experience was for the people and for Moses. It is tempting to think of him as the Great Leader of the Israelites, wandering around with a staff and a beard being very docile throughout the whole thing. The film helped me to capture the reality of his plight including his role as a father and husband along with the frustrations of leading a people who were volatile and zealous.

Although the film may have been a successful political statement regarding terrorism, 21st Century warfare and the treatment of refugees in Britain today, in my opinion, it could not be classed as an accurate reflection of the biblical story it sought to portray.

Did anyone see it and think otherwise?

One small step...

Following my recent post about sundays, their purpose and a day of rest I made a small step of progress. That is; I didn't go to church on sunday morning. I didn't simply opt not to go and waste my time doing nothing - that would achieve little and be a pointless exercise. Instead, I chose to have morning coffee/lunch with my best friend as she was home from Dundee for the weekend. Sunday morning was the only time I could really see her. Usually my response would be 'Well I'll see you at church' and we would try to squeeze in some time for chatting before and after. However, this time I decided that quality time with my closest friend seemed more important at the present moment. It was wonderful. We had lunch, relaxing and chatting and for me, actually resting before the business of the rest of day commenced. For once, I didn't feel guilty. I am not ruled by the sabbath - my sense of urgent obligation to attend church is slowly being released. I have not lost interest in church and neither am I become slack in my attentiveness to the teaching of the gospel. I am simply learning to rest.

The Here and Now.

I've recently been blogging on PebblePad - a wonderful system but I fear I'll lose my account when I leave Strathclyde. Therefor I have opted to blog here instead. I thought I'd do the old 'copy and paste' of some of my previous blogs to fill the space between where I was and where I am so that future blogs have some sort of context and make (I hope) some sort of progression and sense.

05 November 2007

Mark 2:23 - 28 : This would be yet another occasion where the Pharisees are trying to trip up Jesus, to take a snatch at his integrity and find a loophole in his teachings. I've recently been challenged with church quite a lot. I find myself to be challenging my priorities and reviewing the purpose of all my activities on a Sunday and for the church throughout the week. My Sundays... busy, hectic, from one place to another, frequently running or rehearsing for an event. Day of rest? I don't think so! Since being a young child I could count the number of Sundays where I have not been to church on two hands - literally. I grew up in the sort of mind set that to miss church was unchristian and showed lack of commitment. Yet recently I have begun to challenge that. The thinking started by reading the blog of my former minister Stuart Blythe. His post, 'Easy like Sunday morning' flags up the issue of what we do with our Sundays and the role that church plays in that. Having prayed and thought further I came across the passage above. One sentence in particular struck a chord with me,

'Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "The Sabbath day was made to help people; they were not made to be ruled by the Sabbath Day." '

I wonder how often the Sabbath day rules me. I think that in the context of the passage, the Pharisees were questioning Jesus working on the Sabbath (and not for the first time - see the passage of Jesus healing on the Sabbath.) and breaking Jewish law. It was a day of rest where absolutly nothing classed as work was to be done - perhaps to an absurd degree.

However, what is a Sunday for? For rest? For spending time with family? In church are we simply there for community or duty? Should I in fact spend all my Sunday working for the church - especially when I do so every other day of the week? Yes I want to contribute to the life of my church, to engage with my friends and be part of the fellowship but to what extent should I make every aspect of being in church a working one? I believe that when we come to church we should be prepared to work - worship and participating in the ministry there should not be passive, but perhaps I have in fact deprived myself of a 'day of rest' entirely since I work for uni every day and work 9-5 on a satuday. Perhaps as the bible commands I should find a day of rest. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Sunday... but it would be nice if it was. It would seem that my priorities need shifting.




Following on from the previous entry...

12 November 2007

As previously mentioned, I've felt challenged recently about my lifestyle and my priorities, especially where people are concerned. More and more I'm getting the feeling I spend so long working in and for the church that I'm missing out on witnessing to the 'outside' world.
(Is this ironic since I'm going in to ministry? Hopefully not as I hope to be engaged in mission and evangelism throughout.)
In both the services I was at today the speakers talked about witnessing, seeking the lost and saving lives - not by waiting in church for them to come to us but by going out and reaching them. I cannot spend time socialising with non-church people because I am always working in, around and for the church. I see it as noble and a good witness that I do so but then... if I'm so wrapped up in a church-based-bubble what kind of witness is that?

The pastor at KBC this morning told us of a lifeguard who asked his trainee guards, "If was drowning would you come and save me?". Their reply was an enthusiastic, "Of course!"

The pastor then asked us, 'If I am lost will you come and find me?'. He compared this to the story of Zaccheous in Luke 19 where we are told that Jesus came to find 'what is lost'. We are told that God is a seeking God and so we ought to be a seeking people. Am I really seeking? Or am I simply working with whoever will come along to my church, my territory, my comfort-zone? Zaccheous himself was seeking Jesus, despite being the epitomy of someone with a focus on self-gain and loose morality. How his life was changed because Jesus responded to his search; not by inviting the man to church, but inviting himself to the house of Zaccheous. Jesus went to the seeker, he did not just say 'come and find me'. Just as we should be seeking the lost, so we should not just wait for and overlook the lost who are seeking. We need to put down the invitation to church and pick up the invitation to 'their place.'

In the evening Gary talked about How To Save a Life based on the song by the Fray and linked to Romans 10:14-16. We are told in this passage that people are saved when they believe, they believe when they hear, they hear when they are told, and they will only be told if someone is sent. Therefor we are to go out to save lives and seek what is lost. Jesus has sent us out. As I have said before, I feel I am not seeking, I am waiting.

My priorities need to actively change.